November 1998

Enemy SquadUnited State of Mind

From the Pedro Bell-designed cover artwork to the screaming, multilayered guitars to the offbeat song titles, Enemy Squad's United State of Mind (USACD8500, 57:17) wears its P-Funk afflilations proudly. With help from the maggotmaster, George Clinton, as well as familiar personnel like guitarist Blackbyrd McKnight, keyboardist Amp Fiddler, Fuzzy Haskins, and vocalist Belita Woods, this disc, at times sounds like the Funkadelic album that GC's been promising since 1995, with slimy synths and blitzed-out vocal choruses (used to maximum effect on "Yeah The World is on Drugs"). Drummer/synthesist/writer,Gabe Gonzales gives the crew plenty of room to stretch out, as on the metal-swaggering "Trick Chick Jane", or on the quirk-funk leaning title track, another P-Funk paean to the unifying power of black bohemia. And the party continues.